In a recent shareholder meeting, C.C. Wei, the CEO of TSMC, highlighted that despite the unpredictable nature of tariffs, the demand for AI hardware continues to exceed supply significantly. Wei clarified that the imposition of tariffs has not drastically impacted TSMC directly, as they are exporters, but acknowledged that it could lead to increased prices, potentially shrinking demand overall. He stated, “AI demand has always been very strong and it's consistently outpacing supply.”

The ongoing discussions about tariffs, especially regarding the manufacturing equipment needed for production, have raised concerns about TSMC’s expansion plans, particularly the challenges in completing a $165 billion investment program in the U.S. within five years. Wei remarked on the complexities introduced by tariffs, as they typically increase production costs due to the need for imported equipment.

This backdrop of rising tariffs complicates the landscape for gamers and consumers as they evaluate the availability and pricing of graphics cards and other AI hardware. Despite these difficulties, other markets are seeing prices trending toward normalization, which may ease the access to gaming GPUs. The uncertainty around tariffs leaves many wondering how these changes will impact future hardware developments.